Gender differences in laboratory aggression under response choice conditions

Abstract

AbstractEighty‐four undergraduate student volunteers were tested on the Response Choice Aggression Paradigm [Zeichner et al., 1999]. Men (n=43) and women (n=41) participants were provoked in a reaction time competition by receiving electric shocks and were allowed to respond to a confederate with similar shocks or to refrain from any retaliation. Results indicated that men administered more shocks, chose more intense shocks, and administered the highest available shock at a greater proportion relative to all their shock selections than did women. In contrast, women evinced a longer latency before becoming aggressive and initiated aggression at lower intensities than did men. Moreover, across shock trials, gender‐specific aggression patterns indicated that while men alternated response frequency, women gradually increased their response frequency to a peak close to the end of the task. The results confirm earlier findings of gender differences in aggression and offer new indices of aggression “flashpoint” as a step closer to understanding aggressive behavior in naturalistic circumstances. Aggr. Behav. 29:95–106, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.